Fintech darling Monzo urges 500,000 users to change PINs after security bug August 5, 2019 Digital challenger bank Monzo has urged users to change their PINs after admitting a data breach allowed members of staff to access security information. The fintech said around a fifth of customers were affected by the leak, which saw some PINs stored in encrypted log files that Monzo engineers had access to. Read more: Losses [...]
Revolut ‘to appoint Martin Gilbert as chairman in next few weeks’ July 14, 2019 Revolut is reportedly gearing up to appoint Martin Gilbert as its first ever chairman in a bid to strengthen governance and improve investor sentiment ahead of an upcoming fundraising. Gilbert, a former co-chief executive of Standard Life Aberdeen (SLA), was first confirmed as an adviser to chief Nikolay Storonsky in March. Read more: Revolut fights [...]
Challenger banks struggling to compete with big five banks on cash deposits, study finds May 30, 2019 Challenger banks are struggling to break the stranglehold of the big five banks on the UK's £1.3 trillion cash deposit market, despite often paying better interest rates. The UK's big five banks – Barclays, Lloyds, HSBC, Santander and the Royal Bank of Scotland – hold £827bn of the UK's household deposits, a market share of [...]
Tesco Bank quits ‘challenging’ mortgage market May 21, 2019 Tesco Bank has thrown in the towel on mortgages, ceasing all new lending as it attempts to sell of its existing ledger book. Read more: How London house prices in every borough have performed in 2019 Currently the bank has 23,000 mortgage customers who it has lent £3.7bn, a portfolio it is now exploring the [...]
Monzo hits 2m customer milestone as fintech race heats up May 20, 2019 Digital banking darling Monzo's current account is set to surpass 2m customers today, as it races to catch up with London rival Revolut. The two fintech startups have been locked in an intense race to command market share in the nascent mobile banking sector, as well as to expand overseas. Read more: Monzo to roll [...]
Nationwide scoops £50m prize for small business lending May 14, 2019 Nationwide has won the latest round of funding from a high-profile grant designed to boost small business lending in the UK, pocketing the top £50m prize. Read more: Nationwide invests in ex-Barclays CEO's firm to boost business banking Investec and the Co-operative Bank were also named as winners, taking home £15m each. The awards, handed [...]
Atom Bank to raise £50m after major shareholder BBVA decides against full takeover May 9, 2019 Atom Bank, an online-only lender, is preparing to launch a £50m fundraising bid after its main shareholder abandoned a full takeover of the company. The bank has started speaking to investors over the fundraise in recent weeks, Sky News reported today. Read more: How Monzo plans to save you money on your energy bills It [...]
It’s time to fix regulation and scrap socialism for the banks May 3, 2019 For too long, it has been possible for bankers to make massive profits while socialising losses through subsidies, deposit schemes, public ownership, and bailouts in times of crisis. This creates a moral hazard: bankers are encouraged by the regulatory regime to take on excessive risk, allowed to issue limited equity, and in case of a [...]
Fintech unicorn N26 under scrutiny from German banking regulator April 11, 2019 Digital banking starlet N26 is under scrutiny from German banking regulator Bafin, after reports emerged of fraudulent transactions and problems with the bank’s communications structure. Concerns about N26 were first reported in October by German newspaper Handelsblatt, before further inquiries by Bafin were said to have revealed numerous deficiencies at the fintech startup. N26, which counts Monzo, [...]
Mortgage and investment platform Lendinvest secures £200m funding from HSBC April 8, 2019 Mortgage marketplace and property investment platform Lendinvest has secured up to £200m in funding from HSBC in order to launch its home loan product this year. The new funding will allow the London-based firm, which launched in 2008, to enter the regulated home loan market for the first time as it targets becoming a whole-of-market [...]